How does 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 relate to the warning in Mark 8:15? The Shared Image of Leaven • Jesus in Mark 8:15 says, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.” • Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:6 warns, “Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough?” • In both passages leaven is a picture of a subtle, spreading influence that eventually affects everything it touches. Immediate Contexts • Mark 8:15—The disciples are in a boat worrying about literal bread. Jesus redirects them to spiritual danger: the corrupting teaching and attitudes of the Pharisees (religious hypocrisy) and Herod (worldly compromise). • 1 Corinthians 5:6-8—The church at Corinth is tolerating blatant sin and even boasting about their tolerance. Paul insists they must remove this sin for the good of the whole body. Passover Roots Behind Paul’s Words • Exodus 12:15 commanded Israel to purge leaven before Passover; any remaining leaven meant exclusion from the community. • Paul ties that symbolism directly to Christ: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). • Therefore the church, now redeemed by the true Passover Lamb, must stay spiritually unleavened—free from “malice and wickedness” (v. 8). Connecting Jesus’ Warning to Paul’s Command • Jesus identifies two specific kinds of leaven: – Pharisaic hypocrisy—outward religion without heart obedience (cf. Luke 12:1). – Herodian worldliness—political power and pleasure overriding allegiance to God. • Paul addresses the same dangers in Corinth: – Hypocrisy—the church pretends all is well while serious sin festers. – Worldliness—Corinthian culture approves sexual immorality; the church adopts the culture’s standards. • Both passages insist that a single tolerated compromise will permeate the whole community. Layers of Meaning 1. Doctrinal: False teaching (Pharisees, Herod) spreads like yeast; guard the gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). 2. Moral: Personal sin tolerated in one member endangers the entire church (1 Corinthians 5:2). 3. Corporate: The purity of the body matters; God calls His people to be “a new unleavened batch” (v. 7). 4. Christ-centered: The cross is our Passover; because the Lamb was sacrificed, we are enabled—and obligated—to remove leaven. Practical Takeaways • Stay alert: influences that seem minor today will dominate tomorrow. • Test every teaching against Scripture (Acts 17:11). • Address sin lovingly but decisively; refusing to act is not grace but negligence. • Celebrate life in Christ with “the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8)—open lives, honest repentance, wholehearted obedience. |
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